In this second report in The Backbone Collective’s ‘Seen and Not Heard’ series the Collective places Lawyer for Child under the microscope and investigate how this important component of the overall system is operating. After
surveying hundreds of women who have children and are involved in New Zealand Family Court proceedings, the Collective has gathered an enormous amount of information about women and children’s experiences of Lawyer for Child from all over New Zealand. We have collected, analysed and inquired in the Collective's effort to get to fully understand the Lawyer for Child role.

Both UNCROC and the New Zealand legislation clearly require that all children who are party to Family Court proceedings have a right to be heard – to express their views, and they must be given reasonable opportunities to do this on any matters that affect them. The New Zealand legislation and UNCROC are also both clear that merely gathering children’s views is not sufficient – their views must be presented to the court and must be taken into account by the court. (From the Executive summary). Record #5834